Respect for the Katana

I am not fond of the saying that the katana was the soul of the
samurai or that samurai stored their soul in their katana. I do not
think it accurately conveys the concept. The Japanese have the
belief that everything has a spiritual aspect. That is true for a
rock, a person, or a sword. They believe that the spirit of a sword
is influenced by the sword smith and the owners of a sword. A great
example is the way the Japanese feel about blades made by Okazaki Masamune and Sengo Muramasa. Both these sword smiths were known for
the quality of their work, but while Masamune blades are considered
in revered manner, Muramasa blades are considered bloodthirsty. It
is thought that the swords took on the nature of their maker. Even
today Masamune blades are worth much more than Muramasa blades even
if the quality of the workmanship can be considered equal. The deeds
and miss-deeds of a samurai would influence the spiritual aspect of
their sword. I think anyone would consider a sword stored in a
shrine for the last 400 years differently than one recently used to
commit murder.

I have a huge amount of respect for katana that belong to me,
belong to others, or are awaiting an owner in the shop. While I do
not defend my life with a sword, I use them several times a week in
my training. Failure of sword (or my swordsmanship) can result in
serious injury or death to me or those around me. This is true when
Iím practicing tameshigiri or just cleaning a sword. I think it is
pretty natural to have respect for any object that can do that much
damage to you.

A real katana is a serious investment. It is not some $19 flee
market replica. For the samurai this was even more true than today.
Students of the sword tend to own the best they can afford. Choosing
the right sword is a difficult task. I always let people feel and
swing katana before they purchase them in the shop. Picking the
right katana is a personal decision. Usually the student picks the
sword and sometimes I think the sword picks the student. These
swords are all hand made - so every one of them is slightly
different. After getting a new sword, all the students in the dojo
continue to personalize their katana. This may be a simple as
changing the sageo cord (cord that attaches the saya / scabbard to
the obi / belt) or tsuba (guard).

A katana requires constant maintenance. They have to be cleaned
and oiled or they will rust. They also have to be constantly
inspected for damaged mekugi pins (bamboo pin that holds the handle
on the blade) or hidden corrosion. They are subject to damage from
use, the weather, and even time. We are constantly taking care of
our swords. This is true today and for the samurai. Failure of any
component of your sword can cost you your life. That is true today
if you are practicing swordsmanship or for the samurai who could
need their sword to defend themselves. With the cost of the
investment and the constant maintenance required, it should no be
surprising that sword students of today and the samurai of the past
were a bit paranoid about their katana.

We never handle a katana without the ownerís permission and we
always handle them with care. The concept that a katana must draw
blood before being sheathed comes from stories surrounding some of
those bloodthirsty Muramasa blades. Katana can be extremely sharp
and will easily slice deep. We are constantly warning people that
the katana are sharp, but they insist on feeling the edge for
themselves. That has made a first-aid kit an essential part of the
sword shop. When students become too comfortable with their katana,
they end up getting bloody reminders from their katana. It is not a
toy and should never be taken for granted. When I sharpen a katana,
the edge wants to cut you with the slightest pressure. Iíve cut
myself to the bone not paying attention. Even 300 year old antique
blades will cut just as well today.

A katana is a tool. It was for the samurai and today it is the
same for students of Japanese Swordsmanship. It is a tool, but a
tool that can easily cost you a finger, or even your life. It is a
tool that was a serious investment and requires constant care. If we
act a bit weird about our katana, I hope everyone else understands.
If you follow the path of the samurai, Iím sure you do. For everyone
else - there is one simple rule - Don't touch my katana!